Al Jazeera thrown out of press conference

An Al Jazeera television crew was thrown out of a press conference held by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday.

Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammad Abdullah told Gulf News the team was ordered to leave the hall in Emirates Palace Hotel by Iranian officials before the conference began.

According to Abdullah, a request to cover the conference was initially rejected by Iranian officials. However, ‘the UAE National Media Council negotiated with the Iranian side, and provided us with technical and administrative facilities to allow Al Jazeera to cover the conference’ he said.

However, Ibrahim Al Abed, Director General of the National Media Council, claimed that the body did not intervene to try to allow Al Jazeera access to the event. 'It was an Iranian event - they chose which news they had. There was no [official] UAE presence there,' he told ArabianBusiness.com.

Al Jazeera was banned from Iran’s parliament last week after it broadcast a talk show deemed insulting to Iraq’s highest religious authority Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani.

It said it regretted Iran’s decision, and hoped it would not lead to a complete ban on its activities in the country, stressing its policy of ‘respecting religious and public figures.’

Abdullah said no similar incidents had ever happened in the UAE, and that the channel was allowed to cover a press conference held by Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council last year.

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READERS' COMMENTS

a foe at your friends party
Posted by david, ft lauderdale, FL, usa on Wednesday 16 May 2007 at 02:17 UAE time


Imam, that is so interesting about asking your friend to throw out the guest with whom you have an issue. Perfect example of the cultural divide that exsists in the old world vs the new world. Believe me, over here we have to live, work, and party with many people we dislike, even detest. But this is the way of life under representative government. Each of us is Soveriegn of our own little realm, and for the most part we all get along. I see a deep tribal xenophobia at work still in the old world. It troubles me greatly. 
 
So, No, I wouldnt ask my friend to ask the guest I dislike to leave his party. Did it occur to you that he must be a friend of Your friend as well? We just have to all get along better.

RE: What's that got to do with the press conference?
Posted by mstfd, USA on Tuesday 15 May 2007 at 23:39 UAE time


Prof Gunneweg what will you do if all people just decide they are fighting for nothing but death? We know why we are in Iraq, and your government continues to egg on an invasion of Iran. 
 
Tell me, why do God's chosen with Nukes need the USA's protection so much? I don't understand why America's security must be placed behind that of other countries, including Israel. Shouldn't each promote tolerance of those different, and looking out after ones own?

Al Jazeera
Posted by Srivatsa, Dubai, UAE on Tuesday 15 May 2007 at 20:57 UAE time


What is freedom of the press? Print whatever the leader wants.  
 
Why are these people so much against Al Jazeera. If u don't want to read it. Please don't. Let the people decide what they want? and not the so called leaders.

Brainwashing
Posted by Prof. Jan Gunneweg, Jerusalem, Israel on Tuesday 15 May 2007 at 16:19 UAE time


Mr. Basel in Dubai told Internet about zionist and american brainwashing.  
I want to know what he intends with Zionist and American brainwash and who are they brainwashing and for what purpose! 
I see the Middle East including the Palestinians, today 40 years after getting our hands on the Eastern part of Jerusalem, as the big loosers from the very beginning until today. First, they did not accept the division of Palestine according the UN that had decided that Palestine was divided into Jewish and Arabic. The War of Independence (Jewish) was the result. Then they tried to get their part back through illustrious types as Nasser and Haffes el_Assad in 1967 and Saddam Houssein in 1991. Both did not succeed as you know. Then came Camp David and Arafat refused to get from Ehud Barak and Clinton two-third of the Old City because Arafat wanted everything, also the Jewish part with 3000 years history, 1700 years before Muslims ever arrived on the scene. And now they are fighting amongst themselves and also there, they will loose. Poor population that is depended on such a crazy regime that will make it into the final looser. That's what I call: Brainwash! 
Jan Gunneweg, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

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